Harry watched Ginny and Jack struggle to the door. His hand gripped his wand. Jack. What were they going to do about Jack? He knew the truth. He knew who Fyrefox was. They couldn't just let him go. Could they?
"Harry-" Ginny started then paused when she noticed he wasn't following. Her eyebrows rose and she followed his gaze to the man she was helping. "Harry?"
Jack looked back too and stiffened. "Hey, I promised not to say anything." He held his hands up.
Could they trust him? Could they trust anyone? He glanced at Malfoy and Parkinson on the floor. Everyone who knew needed to forget. He couldn't put Ginny in danger like that. He pursed his lips and took a step towards them.
Ginny held up her hand and shook her head. "No, Harry. That's not necessary."
He frowned. "But he knows-"
She smiled. "Jack won't say anything. To anyone. Ever." She shot the man a look, eyebrows raised. "Right?"
Jack clenched his jaw. "Not a word."
Her smile grew and she patted him on the shoulder. "See! He's an honorable man. I'm sure." She tilted her head and looked at Jack again. "If he's not, well, he knows we'll find him anywhere."
Jack gulped. "Of course."
Grinning, she turned to Harry. He sighed, lowering his wand. "Are you sure?" He knew Jack better than she did, but could they trust him? Leave a witness? Merlin only knew if he would tell anyone. Sharp?
"I'm trying not to be offended by your lack of trust, Potter," Jack said and sighed. "Is my word not enough? Do you want me to do an unbreakable vow?" He stepped away from Ginny and held out his arm.
Harry stared at his hand for a moment then shook his head. "That's not necessary." He grabbed Jack's hand, though, and shook it. "I trust you."
Jack stared at him then cleared his throat. "I appreciate that."
With an exhale, Harry released his hand and looked at Ginny. "Now, you've got to get out of here."
Her eyebrows rose again. "What? Why?" She grabbed Jack's arm. "We've all got to get out of here. It would be terrible if we're caught with both of them."
"She's not wrong," Jack pointed out. "There'll be too many questions."
Harry stepped towards Ginny and reached out, caressing her cheek. "I need to call the Aurors here, and you can't be here for that. Jack stays too." He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "No one but us can know you were involved. No one can know the true identity of Fyrefox."
She frowned.
"He's right too," Jack added. He pulled away from Ginny and stepped towards Harry, wincing. "Shit. That hurts."
Her frown grew, and Harry bit back a sigh. She needed to go. It was the best option. Finally, she nodded softly, turning back to the door, but he grabbed her arm, spinning her back, and kissed her. When he released her a moment later, her eyes were closed, cheeks flushed, and her lips were slightly parted.
"I love you, Ginny," he whispered.
Her eyes opened and her smile took his breath away.
"Well, hot damn," Jack muttered.
Harry's eyes shot toward him.
Jack grinned, turning his head away. "Sorry."
"I love you too." Ginny took a step back towards the door.
"Use the disillusionment charm on your way out," Harry told her. "It's best if no one sees you leaving here."
"I will," she tossed over her shoulder.
"Go straight to your flat. I'll come over when I'm all finished up at the Ministry."
She waved at him and disappeared out of the cell. For a moment, he stared at the door then Jack cleared his throat.
"What now?"
Harry looked around the cell then pointed at the chair. "Sit. I'm going to get everyone. They've all been looking for you." He rubbed his chin. "Follow my lead when I return."
For a moment, Jack stared at him then nodded. He added, "Everyone?" His eyebrows rose. He winced as he sat in the chair, hand on his waist.
"Yes." Harry walked to the door but stopped. "Sharp was worried," he added then left the room before Jack could say anything else.
Outside the secret door, he waited a good ten minutes then with a deep breath, he stepped out into the corridor, slipping his wand away.
"Harry!"
He turned and watched Ron and Sharp running towards him, frantic. Their disguises were gone.
"Where the hell have you been?" Ron asked, coming to a stop in front of him. "We've been looking everywhere for you?"
"Have you found Jack?" Sharp asked, eyes wide.
Here we go, Potter.
Harry inhaled then pushed the secret door opened more, and the two stared.
"What's that?" Sharp asked.
"Pansy Parkinson and Malfoy are down in the dungeons," he said. "And Jack's there too."
"What?" Sharp's eyes widened and he stepped forward. "Is he okay? What hap-"
Harry held up his hand. "He's hurt but he'll live."
"What happened?" Ron asked.
"Jack caught them in the act." Harry opened the door further. "C'mon, I'll explain everything once we help Jack." He stopped a moment, looking around. "Where are the others?"
"They're patrolling," Ron said. "For Parkinson, Malfoy, and Fyrefox."
"Let's go," Sharp told them, stepping inside first.
As Ron followed Sharp, Harry came in behind them, a soft grin on his lips. They'd all have Fyrefox soon enough. With this, everything would work itself out. He wanted to cry, a thin line between guilt and happiness. Ginny would be safe, but what had he done? He'd crossed a line that should never be crossed. He'd hidden and lied and evaded. Who was he even anymore?
"Is it much further?" Ron asked.
But they reached the bottom of the steps and the main door to the dungeons was open. Sharp went through without a word. When Ron and Harry reached the room, Sharp knelt in front of Jack, whispering to him.
"I'm fine." Jack brushed away his words.
"Well, bloody hell," Ron muttered, taking in the unconscious Malfoy and Parkinson. "What am I even looking at?" He walked over to Malfoy, blood still flowing from his nose.
"Malfoy put up a fight," Harry said. Sharp and Jack both looked at him. "Wasn't too keen on Azkaban, you know."
"Azkaban?" Ron asked. "Why would he fight that?"
A shiver shot up Harry's spine, but he ignored it. "Because I was going to arrest him."
Ron blinked. "What?"
He hated lying, but especially to Ron. He wished he could tell him the truth, everything, but this was the best way to protect Ginny. He shot a look at Jack, who nodded almost undetectable. Then he said, "Fyrefox. Malfoy is Fyrefox."
There was silence then the two started talking at once.
"He's Fyrefox?" Sharp asked, getting to his feet.
"You caught him! Malfoy Fyrefox? Well, shite!" Ron grinned, clapping Harry on the back.
"I can't believe it was Malfoy," Sharp added. He looked at Jack. "You saw him?"
Jack nodded, rubbing at his ribs. "He was working with his fiancée. I caught her sneaking around and was knocked unconscious. Must've been Malfoy."
Harry watched him. He hated dragging him into this.
"What was she sneaking around for?" Ron asked, coming over and standing over Malfoy and Parkinson. "This is her own house."
"I heard just enough when I came to," Jack continued. "They were going to stage a robbery. They said something about the Golden Unicorn Horn being somewhere, but I couldn't quite hear..." He winced again, leaning forward, face contorted.
Harry jumped in. "While I was looking for Jack, and the two of them, I spotted Malfoy slipping through the secret door."
"There was nothing in the blueprints," Sharp muttered.
Harry continued. "I followed him down here where he met with Parkinson. They were discussing the next step Fyrefox would take, while the Aurors were distracted with the ball." He stopped and crouched in front of Malfoy. "They planned to frame someone else for Fyrefox's crimes, I didn't hear who, especially with the letter they sent to the Ministry and stealing the Golden Unicorn Horn. I can only guess they planned to sell it on the black market to get money to retire or something." He rubbed his chin then pulled on Malfoy's binds to make sure they were secure. Not that the man was much of a threat right now.
How much would he remember when he came to? He needed to be there when he did.
"You should've called for backup," Ron muttered, crossing his arms.
"I had to act fast. They started talking about what to do with Jack and I just-" He stopped as he caught Sharp's face.
"Thank God you did," Jack said. He exhaled, getting to his feet. Sharp shot around and helped him.
"Let me try to heal you a bit," Sharp told him.
"I said I'm fine." Jack continued, "Harry came in. Malfoy tried to Obliviate him and it bounced off and him the both of them." He shook his head. "I've never seen it hit like that. Weird."
If it wasn't for him and Ginny, Harry would be worried just how much of a good liar Jack was.
"Merlin's Beard," Ron whispered. He lightly tapped Malfoy with his shoe and shook his head. "What now?" He turned to Harry.
"Actually, we should get Parkinson to St. Mungo's. I think she's pregnant," Harry said. "Well, it'd probably be best to take them both." He sighed. "Then Malfoy is off to Azkaban."
"That's right where he belongs," Ron muttered.
"I can't believe this guy is the infamous Fyrefox," Jack said, standing above Malfoy. "He doesn't seem like much."
"You don't know Malfoy," Ron told him. "Something's never been right with him."
"He almost killed Albus Dumbledore," Sharp told him.
Jack's eyes widened. "Dumbledore? The Albus Dumbledore? Holy shit."
"His father almost killed my sister," Ron added.
Jack's eyebrows rose as he shot a look at Harry.
He tried not to tell himself that they were all excuses for putting away Malfoy falsely, but the truth wasn't so black and white. Maybe he wasn't Fyrefox, but he tried to kill Ginny, Jack even. Attempted murder was still wrong.
Jack sighed. "I guess we'll never know where the Golden Unicorn Horn is."
The way things were looking, the Golden Unicorn Horn was gone for good. Ginny still hadn't told him what she did with it. "What will President Quahog say?"
He shrugged. "He'll understand."
"Let's get to St. Mungo's," Sharp said. "You too, Jack. Don't argue with me."
The man's mouth shut.
"We should move. I'll call Robards over. There's work still to be done even though Fyrefox has been caught," Harry told them. "And don't forget to get all your paperwork done and left on my desk before you go."
"Paperwork! Seriously!" Ron groaned, waving his wand at Malfoy and Parkinson. The two floated off the ground and started towards the door. "Can't that wait till tomorrow?"
Harry shot him a look then left the dungeons to groans. Once out in the corridor, he took a deep breath as the others moved around. He watched them for a moment, waiting. Then he started forward. With a quick spell, all the other Aurors came back. He pulled them aside.
"Listen up. Fyrefox has been apprehended." He stopped as cheers and questions shot up. He quieted them. "I have to speak to the Parkinsons since their daughter was involved. Before they send the quests home, we'll question them. For all of them. The family included."
He said a few more things but quickly moved to the ballroom to see if Ginny actually listened to him. Sure enough she did. He sighed then went about his business.
Harry groaned, throwing down his quill and leaning back in his chair. Finished. Finally. Thank Merlin. He thought he'd be here all night. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Exhaustion settled in his bones. He just wanted to go to Ginny's and crawl into bed. Sleep until next week. He felt as if he hadn't slept a wink since he'd been given this assignment. At least it worked itself out, somehow.
Malfoy was arrested and would be in Azkaban for seven years. Fyrefox had stolen from the Ministry and wronged the people for too long.
Better him than Ginny. Then Harry frowned. He felt a tad bit rotten but pushed that aside.
Pansy Parkinson would spend the remainder of her pregnancy in St. Mungo's until her child was born then would be under house arrest for a year for an accessory to Fyrefox's crimes.
And neither of them remembered anything for the last five years. Both thought the Second War just finished. It appeared that the spell "Malfoy" chucked at him, was excessively strong. Harry was lucky, they said. What would've happened if it had hit him?
The part of him that felt guilty was almost drowned at by the relief. They wouldn't remember a thing about the truth of Fyrefox's identity. Neither of them.
The door to his office opened, and Ginny stepped through. He blinked, standing. "Ginny! What're you doing here?" He rushed around to shut the door behind her. Yeah, maybe he was being overly cautious, but he couldn't help himself. Jack was still in St. Mungo's, but the rest of the Ministry thought they knew the truth about Fyrefox. He didn't want anything to change that or make them question things.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. When she nodded, he sighed. "Go back to your flat. I just need to go through some of the others' paperwork and then I'll be right over."
She walked over to his desk and dropped the golden vase that usually sat on her table in front of him. No flowers or water inside.
He frowned, looking up at her. "Er- Should I have gotten you flowers or something?"
Ginny snickered. Wand in hand, she flickered her wrist, and Harry watched the vase transform into the Golden Unicorn Horn. He stared in shock then his eyes flickered to hers.
"Why're you bringing it back?" he whispered.
She gazed at him then looked down at the floor. "I got you back. The only reason I stole it in the first place was that I felt... foolishly wronged by the Ministry. I don't feel like that anymore."
But Harry barely hurried what she was saying. He jumped over his desk and took her into his arms, kissing her.
A few moments later when he pulled back slightly for air, he whispered against her lips, "I'm taking you home."
"Home?"
"Yes, home to Godric's Hollow." He grabbed her hand and rushed out of his office, forgetting the paperwork, the Golden Unicorn Horn, everything, as he rushed them through the Ministry and out to the apparition spot. "Home," he said, holding her hand, and they side-apparated.
*
AHHHH! Only things left now are the two epilogues. I'll try to get them out soon, but my second nephew can be born any minute, so we'll see!!! Thoughts? Please, share them! As I've stated before, there's more to come in the BAD series, so don't panic.
As always, thank you so much for all of your love and patience and support. It means the world to me and keeps me writing. So, thanks!
Also, remember to stay safe and healthy and kind during this crazy, crazy time. Always <3